A screenshot of a digital presentation featuring a 3D model of an attic space inside a building. An accompanying text box narrates the history of public broadcasting in Germany, starting in the attic of the Voxhaus. The image shows a small chamber draped with fabric for improved acoustics, where a stack of books elevates a microphone to the required height for the speaker. On the side, a navigation menu with several dots suggests additional content.

100 Years of Radio in Germany

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, we have created two comprehensive scrollytellings that show the history of radio from 1923 to the present day. As a visual hook, we use the first and the current location of the orchestra and follow these buildings through the eras from the Weimar Republic to the 21st century.

Project features:

  • Interactive App
  • Culture
  • WebGL Scrollytelling
Show App100 Years of Radio in Germany
Three smartphone mockups display sections of an interactive presentation about the history of the Vox-Haus, a historic broadcasting building in Germany. The first phone displays the exterior of the building with a description of its significance. The second phone offers a view into the large recording hall and adjacent amplifier room. The third phone presents a historical depiction of the first concert with images of musicians and text describing the event. Each image includes a navigation feature for page scrolling.
A historical aerial photograph of Berlin showing the area around the radio tower from 1926 to 1929. Markers on the photo identify the building of the German radio industry and the radio tower itself. Accompanying text describes the radio tower as Berlin's answer to the Eiffel Tower, with the German radio industry's building at its base. It also mentions a wooden hall in the style of an exhibition hall, which was later replaced by a new building. The text notes that a new, large radio house was constructed nearby for five million Reichsmarks.

To accomplish this, we have meticulously reconstructed the Voxhaus, where the first radio broadcast took place in 1923. With a mix of storytelling, historical photos, maps and 3D visualizations, we bring this historic building back to life.

An image overlay, reveals additional details on the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin building showing its interior, which is a testament to its architectural grandeur with its symmetrical layout and intricate design.
A historical aerial photograph of Berlin showing the area around the radio tower from 1926 to 1929. Markers on the photo identify the building of the German radio industry and the radio tower itself. Accompanying text describes the radio tower as Berlin's answer to the Eiffel Tower, with the German radio industry's building at its base. It also mentions a wooden hall in the style of an exhibition hall, which was later replaced by a new building. The text notes that a new, large radio house was constructed nearby for five million Reichsmarks.
A screenshot presents a historical depiction of the broadcasting house from 1946 to 1952. In the foreground, silhouettes of orchestra members are shown alongside an illustration of a warning sign reading 'Attention! No walking on the grass'. In the background, a photorealistic representation of the broadcasting building is visible. The title 'Expulsion' appears above the image. Accompanying text describes the escalating situation between broadcasters and orchestras in West and East Germany following the establishment of the FRG and the GDR. Details include the cordoning off of the broadcasting house by British military police and the subsequent evacuation of the building by the staff.
The size of the building’s audience (253 listeners) is represented in the 3D modelization of the building by circles surrounding it.